Piecing together snapshots from various findings paints a bleak picture of the state of our mental health. The latest Mental Health and Wellbeing in England survey shows that almost six per cent of people in the UK suffer with anxiety and three in every 100 from depression. Phobias, addictions and post-traumatic stress disorder are also among the issues mental healthprofessionals encounter every day. And one in every 100 people in the UK lives with a severe mental health condition, such as bipolar disorder. These common problems often surface early in life; roughly three children in every school classroom have a diagnosable mental health issue, according to CAMHS, the NHS’s child and adolescent mental health service. NHS England plans to spend £13 billion on mental health services this year. Tragically, some can see no hope: the most recent suicide statistics from the Samaritans charity show that more than 6,500 people took their own lives in 2018 – the majority of whom were men. Accordingto the Campaign Against Living Miserably, (CALM), suicide is the biggest killer of men aged under 45 in the UK. Medication and talking therapies remain the default treatments for mental health issues. According to data from NHS Digital, there were 70 million antidepressant prescriptions issued in 2018, almost double the 2008 figure. Numerous studies have shown how exercise – and running, in particular – can be beneficial to mental health. A link between physical activity and mental wellbeing has not been irrefutably proven, but there is growing evidence from around the world of its benefits. For example, a review re-evaluating earlier studies, which was published in Australia’s Journal of Science andMedicine in Sport, concluded that aerobic exercise three times a week at a moderate intensity over nine weeks can help to treat depression. A US study of 1.2 million people published in The Lancetin 2018 found those who exercised reported better mental health. And, closer to home, in a study conducted by Elizabeth Goyder, professor of public health at the University of Sheffield, 69 per cent of 60,000 UK parkrunners surveyed said their mental health had been improved by their regular Saturday morning 5K. Behind all this data are stories of people who found running has had a life-changing effect on their mental health. But when my mum became very ill with cancer, I decided I needed to move back home to care for her. It has helped with my anxiety, but once back in Harrogate, I decided I needed to do something else positive for myself, as looking after Mum took a toll on my emotions. They met every weekday morning for a 6am and 6:30am 5km run around The Stray, a large open space in thetown. If you wanted to jog slowly and chat, that was fine, or you could steam around the route and that was cool, too. After starting last summer, I would run with regular members and talk about my mum with those I’d come to know better. It helped me put my mind in the right place to face another day of caring for Mum before she passed away in October. Although my counselling has been the foundation for all the positive things in my life in the past three years, the running has added to that. I like to concentrate on my breathing and fall into a rhythm as I move forward; that’s very relaxing. I now love that sense of simply travelling across the earth’s surface as you run along and what that does for yourmind.’ ‘I was sexually assaulted when I was 19, which caused my world to crumble around me. Luckily, people there helped to save me, but it was probably the worst day of my life during a very dark period. I wanted to fix myself and be social again, so one Sunday morning I plucked up the courage to go for a run with them. However low my mood was during the week, simply looking forward toa Sunday run with my new friends was my focus. When I felt I was not good enough and was doubting myself, completing a race with my friends alongside me, with crowds cheering me on, was incredible. I realised that having goals really focused my mind and gave me a huge sense of purpose. I felt I was proving to myself that I could defy my depression and anxiety; on so many occasions in thepast, these feelings had tried to kill me. Each time, I’ve felt a great sense of satisfaction when I’ve crossed the finish line. Running has made me who I amtoday.’ ‘I received a massive curveball two years ago after I noticed a lump on my neck. This took a huge physical toll – I dropped two-and-a half stone in six weeks and lost all my muscle tone. I wasdepressed and hit rock bottom – at times, I did feel what was the point in carrying on. We gave each other a lot of mutual support.At first, the running was secondary to the talking side, which was easing me into being more social again.
Komentar
Posting Komentar